The present invention relates to load carriers that are attachable to vehicles and more particularly to such type carriers that are selectively movable between loading and carrying positions.
Various forms of apparatus are presently being utilized for the purpose of carrying loads along side an associated vehicle. Such carriers are typically mounted to the vehicle frame or bumper. Other carrying frames are mounted to conventonal forms of trailer hitches and bumper mounts and are pivotable between loading and unloading positions. Such a platform may be pivoted or tilted to one side with an end close to or engaging the ground surface. A load may then be rolled onto a platform which is then tipped to a carrying position. The difficulty with these platforms is in the locking mechanisms for holding the load in a horizontal carrying position. They are usually manually operable and are very difficult for one person to operate while maintaining the platform and usually heavy load in a horizontal position. It therefore becomes desirable to obtain some form of utility platform that is mountable to a vehicle that will operate automatically to lock its support surface in a horizontal carrying position without manual intervention by the operator.